Winter Yoga Nidra

Where can we see, feel and hear the beauty in the cold? A nidra for the season of winter, to create warmth inside our bodies. A time to rest and lay longer, this nidra will nourish your body and mind. Included is the Bihar body scan, relaxation and visualisations. Simply cosy up and enjoy.

Transcript

This Yoga Nidra is dedicated to the season of winter.

A time to go inward.

A time to seek warmth.

A time to cover up.

A time to lay longer.

A time to rest.

A time to read.

A time to sit.

A time to grow roots.

A time to listen to your heart.

Where can we see,

Feel and hear the beauty in the cold?

Make space now in your heart,

Chest and body for this time of rest in the season of winter.

I'm your guide Michelle for this practice today.

Yoga Nidra or Yogic sleep is commonly practiced in Shavasana.

So create your nest with love and care.

You may lay on your back with feet slightly apart.

Maybe a bolster under your legs.

Arms beside you.

Palms facing up if that feels comfortable for you.

Cozy yourself with your hands.

Cozy yourself with a blanket or wrap.

You may want socks on your feet as your temperature can drop.

You may like an eye pillow to cover the sense of sight.

Nidra is a time of stillness and withdrawing the senses to awaken our inner ones.

So ensure you are in a position you can maintain for a period of time.

If you need to move at all this is fine.

Just do so slowly and mindfully.

Feel the gravity hold you.

Feel all the parts of you in contact with the floor.

It has been said,

Stillness of the mind only comes when there is stillness in the body.

Sink into the earth.

Surrender to this practice of rest.

In your stillness begin by noticing your breath.

Breathing in from the soles of your feet all the way to your chest.

A long inhale and a longer exhale.

And repeat all the way from your feet to your chest.

Every second this breath giving you life,

Every day thank it.

Notice where you can feel your breath.

Can you feel your belly rising?

Can you feel the inhale in your nostrils?

Can you feel the exhale against your skin?

Realise the space you are in.

The sounds.

Sounds outside of the room,

Just listening,

No good or bad,

Just noticing.

Sounds within the room,

What can you hear in the stillness of the room?

If your mind leaves the room in this practice,

Return to the anchors of breath or sound anytime that you remember.

The practice of Yoga Nidra now begins.

With your breath nourishing your body,

Feel it enter your heart space.

This heart space is vast and expansive.

Is there space today to lie with your heart?

To speak with your heart?

Hold hands with your heart?

All exchanges with your heart are welcome here.

We begin Nidra with setting an intention or a sankalpa.

What is your intention for this practice today?

Ask your heart and hear its whispers.

A sankalpa is a short statement beginning with I and is positive.

For example,

I am calm.

I am rested.

Repeat your sankalpa now three times to yourself with awareness.

In this space of stillness,

After your body has spent time within movement,

We will now do a body scan.

The union of mind and body,

But with such immense awareness and so finely tuned so you can feel if there is a note out of sync.

Use this time to notice any tingles,

Sensations or pulses.

Maybe the air touching a part of your skin.

You're slowly fine tuning your focus.

It can be something unfamiliar.

If you find it so,

Come back to a part of the body where it is easy to bring focus such as the palm of your hand.

Bring this awareness now like a little ball of golden light to the right side of your body.

Bring your awareness to your right thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Pinky finger.

Palm of your hand.

Back of your hand.

Wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Right upper arm.

Shoulder.

Underarm.

Right side of the rib cage and lung.

Waistline.

Thigh.

Knee.

Lower leg.

Ankle.

Top of the right foot.

Sole of the right foot.

Big toe.

Big toe.

All of your toes.

Hold the entire right side of your body in awareness.

Your whole right side.

Move your awareness to your left hand.

Left thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Pinky finger.

Palm of your hand.

Back of your hand.

Left wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Underarm.

Left side of the rib cage and lung.

Waistline.

Thigh.

Knee.

Lower leg.

Ankle.

Top of the left foot.

Sole of the left foot.

Big toe.

All of your toes.

Wash the entire left side of your body with your awareness.

Your whole left foot.

Your whole left side.

Feel the entire left side of your body now.

Now to explore the back of your body,

Moving from right to left fairly quickly.

Feel the sole of your right foot.

The sole of your left foot.

The soles of both of your feet together.

Back of your right heel.

Back of your left heel.

Both heels together.

Right calf.

Left calf.

Both calves together.

Back of your right knee.

Back of your left knee.

Backs of both knees together.

Right hamstrings.

Left hamstrings.

Both sets of hamstrings together.

Right buttocks.

Left buttocks.

Both sides of your buttocks.

Back of your pelvis.

Lower back.

Middle back.

Upper back.

Feel your right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

Both shoulder blades together.

Right arm.

Left arm.

Both arms together.

Back of your neck.

Back of your head.

The crown of your head.

Feel your entire back body.

Now feel the crown of your head.

Your forehead.

Right eyebrow.

Right cheek.

Right eyebrow.

Left eyebrow.

Both eyebrows together.

Brow centre.

Right eyelid.

Left eyelid.

Both eyelids together.

Right eyeball.

Left eyeball.

Both eyes together.

Feel your right nostril.

Your left nostril.

Both nostrils together.

The bridge of your nose.

The tip of your nose.

Your whole entire nose.

Feel your upper lip.

Lower lip.

Both lips together.

Feel your chin.

Feel the right side of your jaw.

The left side of your jaw.

And feel both sides of your jaw together.

Then feel your whole face.

Feel the right side of your head.

The left side of your head.

Now feel both sides of your head together.

Feel the right side of your throat.

The left side of your throat.

Feel your whole neck and throat together.

Feel your right collarbone.

Your left collarbone.

And both collarbones together.

The right side of your chest.

The left side of your chest.

Both sides of your chest together.

Your whole chest.

Feel the area of your abdomen from your ribs to your belly button.

Lower belly.

Pelvis.

The root of your pelvic floor.

Both thighs.

Both kneecaps.

Both shins.

Both ankles.

The tops of both of your feet.

Feel your right leg from your toes to your hip.

Feel your left leg from your toes to your hip.

Feel both of your legs together.

Feel your right arm from your fingertips to your shoulder.

Your left arm from your fingertips to your shoulder.

Both arms together.

Keep your arms and your legs and your entire torso and your head in all of your awareness now.

Feel and sense your entire body.

Your whole body.

Feel your whole body together.

Your whole body.

Feel your whole body together right now.

Feel energy moving inside your body.

Watch your breath as you would watch the breath of a little baby or someone lying next to you.

Rest here.

Observe the breath now.

Starting at the number 18,

We will count each breath,

Inhaling and exhaling until we get to zero.

Inhale.

Exhale.

18.

Inhale.

Exhale.

17.

Inhale.

Exhale.

16.

And continue.

Exhale.

Exhale.

Pairs of opposites.

To know one is to experience the opposite.

To live is to feel each and every portion of emotion that resides in the body and then spiel it out.

In the darkness of the season of winter,

Can you recall a time of sorrow?

A time when you felt dark.

The clouds covering your joy.

Recall this with wisdom and admiration for the truth that it brought.

Where did it sit in the body?

With a large exhale,

Breathe it out.

In the lightness of warmth,

Can you recall a time of joy or laughter?

A time when you felt light.

The sun embracing your joy like a big hug.

Recall this time with fondness and nostalgia.

Where does it sit in the body?

Exhale and breathe it out.

With winter there is a sense to cover up,

Hide away,

Withdraw.

Seek the treasure of a warm blanket,

Warm socks or a cozy jumper.

Can you think of a time when you travelled inward and sought the rewards?

How did this feel?

Exhale and breathe it out.

And so too we can unveil,

Unwrap and uncover.

Whether it be ourselves or something within us.

Let something see new light.

Can you think of a time when this was true for you?

How did it feel?

Exhale and breathe it out.

Winter yet still heat.

A hot cup of tea.

A hot flame.

A hot curry.

Heat.

Feel this moving within your body now from head to toe.

Through your fingertips.

Summer yet still cold.

A cold ocean swim.

Ice in your drink.

A cold breeze.

Feel this coldness in your hands,

Your feet and on your face.

Hot and cold.

Feel both at the same time.

A hot part of your body.

A cold part of your body.

Something hot and something cold go between the two.

Exhale and breathe them out.

In this time of rest the mind can play with pictures and images.

Images you can manifest.

Dream-like,

Playful,

Moving.

A number of different things will be named.

Try to imagine them as we go along.

Bring awareness to your third eye or brow centre.

Children playing on a field of ice.

Children playing on a field of ice.

A bare tree.

A bare tree.

Standing in the warmth of a fire.

Hearing the crackle of wood in the fire.

Standing in the warmth of the fire.

A dark rain cloud moving quickly.

A dark rain cloud moving quickly.

A warm scarf around your body.

A warm scarf around your body.

A patterned umbrella covered in raindrops.

A patterned umbrella covered in raindrops.

Watching snow gently fall.

Watching snow gently fall.

A teapot in a tea cosy.

A teapot in a tea cosy.

A warm cup in your hands.

A warm cup in your hands.

Sharing a hot drink with a friend.

Sharing a hot drink with a friend.

Rest now in your warmth you have created.

And the warmth in your heart.

In your warmth you have created.

And the warmth in your heart.

And the warmth in your heart.

And the warmth in your heart.

Now is the time to repeat your Sankalpa that you made at the start of this practice.

Repeat it three times with awareness and presence.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.

Slowly bring your awareness back to your breath and your space.

Move your fingers and toes.

When you feel ready,

Stretch your arms out to the side,

Then to the sky,

Clasping your hands.

Allow whatever movement feels natural in your body.

Allow sounds to move into your space and back into your body.

Rolling over to your left side,

Heart space resting towards the Mother Earth.

When you are ready,

Sit up and slowly open your eyes.

Let the world slowly drift back in.

Thank yourself for giving you the gift of rest.

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